Alaska - Entry To North America For Bird Flu, page 1

Alaska will be the point of entry to the North american continent for the Avian Bird Flu that is sweeping across Asia according to Hon Ip, a virologist with the USGS Wildlife Centre in Wisonsin. Experts have begun testing geese and ducks in various refuges and a team heads off this week to test "Steller's Eiders" another type of migratory duck. Other states are also vunerable to the spread from migratory birds including California, Oregon and Washington. So far in the birds already tested there is no evidence of the deadly virus.

today.reuters.com
No one is sure how it is spreading, but migrating birds are a prime suspect. Officials fear birds such as ducks and geese could bring the virus to Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East over coming months.

The USGS wants to help keep an eye out for it in North America.

"We also worry that birds will stop off in some of the U.S. territories in the Pacific like Guam, and Hawaii," Ip said. He is especially concerned about endangered species of birds.

So the USGS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have piggybacked avian influenza surveys onto already scheduled visits to examine certain species, band them and track their movements.

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These tests are the ones for all Americans and Canadians to watch carefully. The results of these tests will show America how close they are to the danger of the disease. If any tests turn up positive then its well and trully time to think seriously about the possibilities of pandemic and what it means to each individual person and their families.

Hopefully the tests will continue to return negative results.

It does make sense that as the disease is spreading so fast into Europe and Scandanavia then it will travel in the opposite directions just as fast. South East Asia Indonesia and Australia are also in high danger from the spread at present.

[edit on 31-8-2005 by Mayet]

[edit on 10-9-2005 by DJDOHBOY]